Published November 1963 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
From the Office of UNITED STATES SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD Room 342, Old Senate Office Building, Washington 25, D.C Volume III -- Number 47 11-22-63 BYRD'S EYE VIEW A Public Service Column by SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD NEW GEOMETRIC DESIGNS DEVELOPED FOR COUNTRY BUILDINGS When anything new is discovered, it appears that the Greeks had a word for it. "Hyperbolic paraboloid" is a Greek-derived phrase that is as difficult to understand as it is to pronounce. But “HP”, as it is familiarly known, may soon be responsible for a radically new type of farm building structure that will provide more shelter with less material than was ever before possible. Developed by engineers at the U. S. Agricultural Research Center at Beltsville, Maryland, the HP building concept is based on the theory that thin, flexible material, such as plywood, can achieve a rigidity and strength equal to material many times its weight, when the plywood is given an opposed twist, according to geometric principles. Engineers at Beltsville are experimenting with lightweight roof panels of twisted plywood which not only carry a considerable downward thrust, but which do away with the need for supporting walls. In some designs, the panels are supported on pillars. Other designs, such as the "Pentagon," require no support whatever, other than a foundation tie for each of the five roof panels. The "Pentagon" is a tentative name for the first of these HP structures to be completed and tested--so named because it sits on a five-sided foundation and consists entirely of five diamond-shaped panels bolted together, with the lower point of each diamond fastened to a bolt on the foundation and the uppermost point joining the other panels at the apex. The result is a modernistic structure such as one might expect to find in some outer space community. But the “Pentagon” is an extremely practical shelter for livestock, such as turkeys, hogs, or sheep, providing a maximum of shade and rain protection at a minimum co.st. It can be entered from five sides, and it is equally well braced against the wind from all directions. The five panels that compose the entire structure can be prefabricated and erected on the site quickly. A panel 18 feet high weighs only 220 pounds. Snow and rain slide off the building without need of mechanical aids. A model using 3/8 inch plywood coated with synthetic rubber has been tested successfully at Beltsville in all kinds of weather. Since no walls are required, and no heavy roof supports, the total saving in board feet of lumber over conventional design is estimated to run between thirty and fifty percent. Widespread adoption of this HP design for farm structures and perhaps for recreational buildings could provide a new market for West Virginia's forest products. It might be feasible to manufacture the complete panel in West Virginia lumber mills and truck it directly to the building site. Another type of experimental roof being worked on at Beltsville has to do with solar radiation as a means of heating country dwellings. Special metal sheeting is being used to absorb the sun's heat and transmit it to the interior of the dwelling. Thus far, solar heat has provided only a portion of the total heat needed, but much is being learned about the effect of design, color, orientation of the building, etc., and it is possible that the country house of the future will exchange the familiar A-shaped roofs for a geometric design that will provide shelter and warmth by cooperating with the natural elements. -30-